----

##  Globalization of Professions: A U.S. Perspective with the Cyberworld            in Mind. ERIC/CASS Digest.                                                   

For most Americans, the globalization of a profession is equated                with expansion of that profession into the international                        marketplace.  For a variety of reasons, the United State's                      longitudinally strong economic status has led to a trade imbalance              of more imports than exports, so therefore, we may logically assume             the globalization of professions may result in a similar deficit,               making the United States a marketplace for offshore                             credentialing. 
While professional organizations are traditionally             low-budget operations, the advent of the World Wide Web has made                feasible some of the following ideas about how to bring service                 organizations and new disciplines into the U.S. mainstream.  This               article will focus on the profession of counseling; there is little             reason to believe the ideas contained within will not apply to other            professional disciplines.  Also, because counseling lends itself,               for better or for worse, to cyber applications, perhaps some of                 these ideas will be translated to other helping professions                     interested in cyberspace expansion. 
However, before introducing               these ideas, it would be useful to introduce what may be an unique              idea to our readers: While Americans certainly play a role in taking            professions abroad, historically, Americans have not excelled in                globalizing professions.  The historical reasons for this are                   numerous.  For example, we are often used to being the experts,                 which makes it hard to be the student, giving us a reputation for               one-sided thinking. Also, most of the time we have "exported                    expertise" it has been a reaction to conflict or war, meaning we                have been asked for help rather than volunteering to enter into a               mutually beneficial partnership.  Sometimes other countries were                concerned about U.S. imperialism and suspicious of importing U.S.               expertise, which gave other countries an advantage in a                         globalization of markets. Additionally, our weakness at language,               competitive rather than cooperative universities, and our 40-year               booming economy made us less likely to enter the world                          market. 
Advances in worldwide communication (email, Internet,                 satellite communication) have significantly eroded these historical             barriers to globalization of professions.  Now is the time for                  offshore professions to come to the U.S. with aspirations of                    introducing their style of education, professional practice,                    professional societies, and regulatory practices.  Americans are                intrigued with foreigners and foreign language/culture, and while               the U.S. may be resisted elsewhere, importation of professional                 societies and its trappings to the U.S. usually does not meet with              resistance from already established professional groups.  The                   Internet, satellites and travel make it easy to avoid regulation,               education is available for export to the U.S., and foreign degrees              are recognized and often sought. 
Other reasons for globalization              of professions abound.  In the U.S., we have 23,000 associations and            room for more.  Foreign professional associations could be a niche              market for association management companies based in the U.S., as               many credentials are being created globally with a small-to-large               market here in the U.S. The American economy has two waves of                   professionals: Baby Boomers and Generation Xer's, both of which are             susceptible/receptive to new ideas.  Also, foreign contact raises               the chance of foreign travel/living, both of which are seen as                  desirable to an increasingly mobile population. Finally, foreign                associations may be seen as a way to explore the world in the safety            of like-minded professionals. 
While many professional certifying              agencies are considering global expansion, few have viable plans for            how to accomplish this expansion. Therefore, one may conclude that              the world need not prepare itself for an onslaught of U.S.                      professional expansion. 
Articulation of degrees is and has been a             major obstacle in cross-cultural education.  Merely working in the              U.S. environment does not prepare us for "translating" what we do               and how we are trained, as evidenced by the difficulty some foreign             professionals have in understanding the myriad of terms we employ in            the U.S. to describe our expertise in a particular area.  Such terms            as certification, credential, accreditation, licensure, registry,               federal, and national abound. Additionally, U.S. companies often                have difficulty in understanding the potpourri of foreign                       educational degrees, diplomas, and credentials. 
As professionals              with global expertise, we have two mandates: Instructing our members            of professions with strategies for finding regulations and proper               credentials in foreign countries-and, in the same view-knowing who              we, as professionals, should turn to as foreign counterparts.  For              example, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the embassies and consulates             of most nations, and international corporations can all be helpful              sources of information on instructing foreign applicants in how to              translate their portfolios into meaningful host-style                           applications. 
Knowledge is the most flexible commodity to transfer            globally. While a hundred years ago professional conferences were               necessary for information exchange, the instant exchange of                     information offered by modern communication has done away with the              need for such meetings.  Global transfer of information is now                  possible with the click of a button or mouse, if you prefer.  It is             important to note that one possible ramification of such ready                  access information dissemination is the elimination of service                  providers such as hospitals and architecture firms.  This may place             more professionals in the position to direct market their                       services. 
The immigration and emigration of professionals,                    increase in global product trade, and the opening of previously                 closed markets (Korea, China, and South America) confirms that the              world truly is becoming a global community. As this community                   develops and educational needs expand, it is likely current models              will predominate.  However, as use of the Internet and World Wide               Web continue to expand, surely the electronic community will be a               key portal for globalization of all                                             professions. REFERENCESGorlin, R. (1994). Codes of                        professional responsibility (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: Bureau of                National Affairs. 
Lenn, M., & Miller, B. (1999).  The foundations             of globalization of higher education. Washington, DC:  Center for               Quality Assurance in Higher Education. 
National Organization for              Competency Assurance. (1996). Certification: A NOCA handbook.                   Washington, DC:  NOCA. 
U.S. Department of Labor. (1994).                      Occupational outlook handbook, 1997-98. Washington, DC: U.S.                    Government Printing Office. 
----- 
ERIC Digests are in the public            domain and may be freely reproduced and disseminated. 
This                    publication was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office              of Educational Research and Improvement, Contract NO. ED-99-CO-0014.            Opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the                positions of the U.S. Department of Education, OERI, or ERIC/CASS.           **Title:** Globalization of Professions: A U.S. Perspective with the Cyberworld            in Mind. ERIC/CASS Digest.                                                   **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Student Services, University of            North Carolina at Greensboro, 201 Ferguson Building, P.O. Box 26171,            Greensboro, NC 27402-6171. Tel: 336-334-4114; Tel:                              800-414-9769 (Toll Free); Fax: 336-334-4116; Web site:                          http://ericcass.uncg.edu; e-mail: [email protected].                         **Descriptors:**  Counseling Services,  Global Approach, International Cooperation,               Internet,  Professional Development, Scholarly Communication,                  Standards,  World Wide Web                                                   **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests,  Global Networks, Online Counseling                            
###
[Return to ERIC Digest Search Page]